An Interview with Film AlUla executive director Charlene Deleon-Jones

Written by Kianna Best on Jul 20, 2023. Posted in Interviews

Only three years old, Film AlUla are new to the audiovisual world, developing their infrastructure and making a name for themselves in the industry. But with projects rolling in from international filmmakers to promoting their local talents, the Saudi region are putting their best foot forward. At the helm, executive director of Film AlUla Charlene Deleon-Jones spoke to The Location Guide to share her experiences working with the new creative hub, the challenges and successes faced thus far, and what exciting things are on the horizon.

Film AlUla and Creative Media Skills Institute join forces in training the new generation of screen professionals

Written by Kianna Best on Apr 5, 2023. Posted in Interviews

On 26 February, Film AlUla kicked off their training programme in association with UK- led Creative Media Skills Institute, training an up and coming generation of filmmakers. For 10 days, attendees were taught by four industry professionals who imparted their wisdom and experiences through a series of talks and practical activities. We got to speak to programme trainer Iain Smith, BAFTA-winning film producer on his time working with the new generation of talents.

Chief Productions country hop with Qatar Airways

Written by Kianna Best on Feb 16, 2023. Posted in Interviews

Manchester based Chief Productions set off on a country hopping round of journeys to capture Qatar Airways’ newest on-board safety video. With a network of more than 150 destinations, the airline's production settled in Cape Town, London, Kuala Lumpur, Los Angeles, Sydney, Maldives and the centre of the worldwide hub, Qatar. Sending Postcards from Qatar to the World is no easy feat. The Location Guide had the pleasure of speaking to director Nate Camponi and executive producer and ceo of Chief Colin Offland to find out just how such an international production was orchestrated.

From the open seas to the streaming screen: an interview with Alec Drayton

Written by Kianna Best on Sep 23, 2022. Posted in Interviews

With experience working on music videos for UK award-winning rap artist Tinie Tempah, island features with the BBC and ABC news, as well as local tourism projects for the Barbadian government and Mount Gay Rum distillery, Alec Drayton shows no signs of ego when discussing his attitudes towards his breadth of projects and his most recent involvement with Netflix's Outerbanks .

Brett Danton talks about the future of virtual production

Written by Kianna Best on Jul 28, 2022. Posted in Interviews

We had a conversation with NM Production's director Brett Danton about his views on the rise of virtual production in the audio-visual sector, the impact it has had on his approach to content creation, and whether technology could ever dominate the traditional processes of the industry.

Filmmaking in AlUla: a conversation with film commissioner Stephen Strachan and Norah producer Paul Miller

Written by The Location Guide on Jul 11, 2022. Posted in Interviews

We caught up with Stephen Strachan, film commissioner at Film AlUla, and Paul Miller, producer of upcoming feature film Norah. The pair discussed filming in Saudi Arabia's AlUla area, exploring the filming locations, incentive schemes, and filmmaking resources that the region offers to incoming production teams.

Shooting 'Flip' in Bulgaria: examining the Bronze Cannes Lion-winner with Pulse Films producer Neil Andrews

Written by Joe Jackson on Jul 6, 2022. Posted in Interviews

The Location Guide had a conversation with producer Neil Andrews from Pulse Films, celebrating the production company's 'Flip' commercial for B&Q winning a Bronze Lion for Achievement in Production at Cannes Lions 2022. We discussed how Neil and the team made the project a reality with Icon Films Sofia, exploring why Bulgaria was chosen for this monumental shoot.

Entertainment and the metaverse: an interview with Matt Warneford, Dubit Founder and CEO

Written by Joe Jackson on Jun 28, 2022. Posted in Interviews

We had a conversation with the CEO and Founder of Dubit, Matt Warneford. Dubit is a studio that specialises in creating games for the metaverse. Matt explained how the metaverse - if harnessed wisely - can help the entertainment sector generate new business opportunities.